Dreaming of Ackies!

[Lankyrob]

My dream for a while now has been to create a massive (14x14x8 feet) enviroment for a couple of savs but recently i have been looking at things realistically with my health and decided that savs are off the list and if circumstances allow it we are going to have a smaller collection with large environments.

So if i am looking at an enclosure that is 8x3x4 foot long would i be safe having two or more ackies living together? We had one a few years back in a 4x2x2 and i would never use that small an enclosure again even for jsut one lizard.

Just dreaming and wondering what the enclosure should be for two or more??

[infernalis]

as big as you can go mate. no such thing as too big.

Imagine a cage that took up a whole wall with just a couple Ackies in it... Would be awesome for observation.

[smy_749]

you could probably put 5 or 6 ackies in an 8 foot enclosure. Buy a few extra, find out which are females which are males and give away a couple till you have a 1.2 pair with more than enough room. Only problem in an enclosure that big is going to be digging for eggs.

[B_Aller]

Bigger is always better, especially with the little guys.
Here's how I kept ackies when I did, 4 x 4 x 8long, kept 4-6 animals in each enclosure, they bred, laid and hatched in the cage, pretty cool.

[nepoez]

Why do I always read about people digging up eggs? Why not everyone just let the eggs hatch in the cage?

[Mikoh4792]

How do you clean that enclosure? Even with bio active substrate what happens when feces or urine gets stuck in crevices in between the rocks and other large objects?

[smy_749]

Ben, they didn't eat the babies?

[B_Aller]

Originally Posted by nepoez

Why do I always read about people digging up eggs? Why not everyone just let the eggs hatch in the cage?

Because it's very hard to provide the right conditions for the entire length of incubation. Most varanids have a 4-12 month incubation period, that's a long time for things to go wrong. Artificial incubation is just much more consistent.
I design my enclosures to allow multiple nesting options that are as easily accessible as possible to prejudice nesting. For most of my animals I can dig right to their nests in no time....if I've been paying attention.

[smy_749]

Originally Posted by nepoez

Why do I always read about people digging up eggs? Why not everyone just let the eggs hatch in the cage?

Its not as effective hatch rate wise, occassionally from what I've read, the eggs may get eaten or the babies but that is speculative and some people say its only due to improper conditions that parents would eat their own young. Mostly its due to hatch rates and being able to know how many babies you are supposed to have where as if they are roaming around in the enclosure you won't know if you've gotten them all or not.

[B_Aller]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

How do you clean that enclosure? Even with bio active substrate what happens when feces or urine gets stuck in crevices in between the rocks and other large objects?

Super easy to keep clean, it's ALL about drainage. I design the bottom of my enclosures to allow maximum drainage. This along with a bio active substrate, spot cleaning and the weekly or bi-weekly hose down keeps it nice and clean, smelling good.

[B_Aller]

Originally Posted by smy_749

Ben, they didn't eat the babies?

Not that I found any evidence of. Most of the clutches were recovered and incubated artificially but with that many animals you miss stuff. I found the nest after they hatched and my guess is 2 out of 8 or so hatched. There were several d.i.e.
I haven't experienced cage mates eating anything but infertile or scattered eggs. Never had a male dig up a healthy nest. Although sometimes I do separate males when the females get aggressive.

[smy_749]

Originally Posted by B_Aller

Not that I found any evidence of. Most of the clutches were recovered and incubated artificially but with that many animals you miss stuff. I found the nest after they hatched and my guess is 2 out of 8 or so hatched. There were several d.i.e.
I haven't experienced cage mates eating anything but infertile or scattered eggs. Never had a male dig up a healthy nest. Although sometimes I do separate males when the females get aggressive.

Thanks for the info and awesome setup. Your gonna drive Rob nuts :P

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by B_Aller

Bigger is always better, especially with the little guys.
Here's how I kept ackies when I did, 4 x 4 x 8long, kept 4-6 animals in each enclosure, they bred, laid and hatched in the cage, pretty cool.

That is freakin awesome!!! and exactly the sort of thing i was thinking of! Everything as "natural" an environment as possible and just let them get on with living their lives . If i ever get the opportunity i may be calling on you for some info and advice if that is ok?

[B_Aller]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

That is freakin awesome!!! and exactly the sort of thing i was thinking of! Everything as "natural" an environment as possible and just let them get on with living their lives . If i ever get the opportunity i may be calling on you for some info and advice if that is ok?

Thanks Rob, of course, I'd be happy to help, might not share all my trade secrets but will certainly do what I can to help point you in the right direction.
Best

[nepoez]

If I only had enough room for 2 savs but I only have 8x4x4 so I can't breed... Would be really rewarding...